New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-04
SHORT STREET CAR TIE-UP.
MEN O., THEIR DEMANDS IN BROOKLYN.

MEN ey,. THEIR DEMANDS IN BROOKLYN.
MORE TINE WANTED FOR BREAEFAsT-AN oBNoA'
IoUs INSPECTOR TRANSPARENT.
Many persons who wanted to go to Prospect
i,arlx and the Coney Island depots from the East
prn District and Greenpoint portions OF Brooklyn
and out into the suburbs OF the city In Newtowh
eu6 Flatbush, yesterday, found themselves unaoie
10 travel by the street cars of the lines conuoned
by the new williamsburg and Flatbush hallrosN
Company until the middle of the afternoon ms
was owing to brief strike which began vest terday
morning and ended by the concession to the men
by the company Of their demands The main line
controlled by 1t is the Nostrand Avenue, which
runs from the ferries at Broadway in Broadway,
1)rjzgs-st Lee and Nostrand aves. and Malbone-
st TO the Willink entrance Of Prospect Park III
Flatbush branch from the main line az farR
and Nostrand ayes runs in Gwinnett and Lof1mer
sis and Greenpont ave. 10 the Iwenty-tmro
Street ferry, and branch from Prospect ParK
goes In the Kjngs County buildings and Holy Cross
Cemetery i'm Flatbush. The same corporation
controls the Brooklyn, Bushwick and Queens
County Company, whose route is from Broadway,
Kent-ave and North Secondst. and Metropolitan
ave. to Middle Village in Queens County The
company has about 400 men employed and runs
$50 cars.
have been dissatisfaction the Lorimer-st. and
Greenpoint line with the conduct Of Inspector
Shea, and on the North Second-st. and Middle
Village line with the shortness Of time allowed
them for breakfast They had only ten or twelve
minutes and wanted sixteen or eighteen. The
complaints about Shea were that he was abusive
and discharged men from Spite making complaints
against them for trivial causes, alleging that
they allowed their horses to 60 too fast down HILL
etc.
The men nursed their grievances until Satur-
day morning, when those employed on the IOr1mer-
st. line refused to take out the cars from the
stables at Nostrand and Park aves. unless Shea
was discharged. After delay of quarter OF an
hour the Superintendent promised to grant the
demand if the men went out with their cars and
worked all day. But Shea was not removed and
the men found at night that they had been tricSed
1he company made the excuse that his services
were valuable, and as he had been eight years
in its employ, he could not be summarily dis
missed. But the men were determined to work
no longer under him and endure his abuse.
general meeting of all the employees OF the
company who belong to District Assembly No.
5,612 Knights of Labor was called at midnight
Saturday in McIIugh's Hall in Kosciuslto-st. The
case of the employees OH the Lorimer-st. line was
considered and also the grie vances of these on
the North Secondst. line, who wanted more time
for breakfast 1t was decided to order tie-up,
the power to do this having been given to local
assemblies last year. In consequence, at O. m.
yesterday the customary hour for starting on Sun
days, none Of the 400 men employed by the COM
pany went. to work. Instead they assembled at
their headquarters and decided to send
mittec. headed by the master workman of the
Assembly, to the officers of the company. This
was dOne and they conferred with President
George w. Van Allen Superintendent Charles Z.
Harris and several of the directors. After q pro-
1onged discussion and the evidence that the men
were firm in their demands the company agreed
to transfer Shea, who was at the bottom OF tho
difficulty, to the position of receiver OF fares In
the Office of the North Secondst. line, where he
will have no authority over the men, and to put
inspector in his place. 1t was also agreed
to renstate some Of the men discharged for trivial
reasons and to give sixteen minutes for breakfast
to these who did not already have as much time
as that. When the agreement was reached it was
noon, and by the time the result could be COM
municated to the employees and they could get
their cars running it was n m. Thus the strike
lasted eight hours 1t is estimated that the
various lines carry about 25, 900 passengers on
Sundays, and about onc-third of this travel fell
off yesterday owing To the strike.
conductor In Nostrand-a a,e. said yesterday after
the cars wero running. I'VE gained all we wanted
The abuse Of that man Shea was more than we
could stand, and we have got rid of 1t. He had
number discharged for slight faults or none at
ALL and none Of could feel safe a minute.
Half a dozen are TO be returned including two
named Mulligan We are all right now
The Assistant Superintendent was seen at the
Offices of the company at Park and NOstrand aves.
lie was unwilling to talk about the matter, but
finally said: We hardly knew what caused the
tie-up. On the North Second-st. line the men
wanted more time for breakfast, and we have re-
arranged the timetables SO as to give them six
teen or seventeen minutes instead Of twelve Here
there was big kick against S. S. Shea who Is
an old railroad and has been driver and a
conductor before he was made Inspector. He has
been in our employ for eight years and is good
man. lie will be put on duty in new place now.
AS TO the reinstatement of men, only one, con-
ductor discharged, will como back.
The difficulty settled in time to save the
COMPANY the loss of the great travel of yesterday
and To-day, two of the busiest days In the year
Tor street car travel In Rrooklyn